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Post by Spruance on Jan 28, 2009 16:51:00 GMT
Recent events have got me thinking that it might after all be a good idea to have a mobile phone. A family friend has suggested an LG KP170 for the phone itself but which is the best PAYG option? This is all new territory for me as I have always insisted that I don't need a mobile phone, although I have used one occasionally at work, and indeed ultimately I might be allocated one. Anyway I have just followed a link from the Kelkoo price comparison site which took me to Orange. They have four PAYG contracts. The most basic of which is the 'Racoon' package offering a flat rate 15p/minute for calls and 10p for texts across all networks. The other packages differ in that the calls are priced at 20p/minute but offer varying numbers of free texts based on what amount of top up you choose. The problem is that I have absolutely no idea if 15p/minute is good or bad.  Any suggestions/advice gratefully received.  |
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Post by Chuckles on Jan 28, 2009 18:54:59 GMT
I'm pay as you talk with Vodafone can't remember what my calls and texts cost off the top of my head and the My Account part of the site is down atm  I did find this www.asda-phones.co.uk/StaticOffers/offers1.aspx#tabs a few months ago when I was having a look around. You can get basic phones as cheap as £20 these day but they will be locked to a certain network. However you can get phones unlocked for as little as £10, there is a stall on our local market and some shops do it too. Doesn't have to be expensive these days to have a mobile especially if you really just want to do only calls and texting. |
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Post by JennyWrenn on Jan 28, 2009 19:19:44 GMT
I have two mobys; one is for work tho One is with 02 (Nokia phone) and the other a Virgin 'phone - as I only use them for texting I feel I can keep control over my payments and I dont have any contracts The Virgin is the Poppy 'Phone Spru so dont think it would suit you sir  I got it at a big discount too - something like half price ;D I just Top Up now and again  |
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Post by MamIDdau on Jan 28, 2009 19:21:48 GMT
I find O2 quite good for PAYG. They have a £15 a month rolling contract thing or you can get the sims where if you top up £10 a month you get a load of freebies. If you don't top up, you've still just got the £10 to use whenever you fancy.
However, I've not had PAYG since erm... 1999?! lol
As for the phone, it depends what you're wanting it to do really.
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Post by Tig on Jan 28, 2009 19:32:38 GMT
I use Tesco mobile PAYG - the rates are quite competitive, you can buy an e-topupvoucher at any Tesco for whatever amount you want which is easy to credit to your phone (I usually get a £10 one every few months as I don't use it that much). You can find all the info here.. www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork/display-phones.aspx?page=20x Tig |
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Post by Spruance on Jan 28, 2009 21:21:15 GMT
Thanks for the replies so far. I'm just looking at Tesco's pricing Tig, and if I understand correctly they are offering to double up on whatever credit you buy.  So, buy £10 and get £20 for instance. Is it too good to be true?..... www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork/payasyougo.aspx?page=4 |
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Post by Tig on Jan 28, 2009 23:37:26 GMT
They do lots of offers Spru - but I only use what I need to, I suppose I should top up again and get the extra, but it will take me 6 months to use that amount of credit! It offered the best rates when I was looking to change from Orange which put prices up quite a bit at the time. Go for what you think will give you the best value for what you want to use the phone for .. I send more texts than I use in calls  x Tig |
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Post by Spruance on Jan 29, 2009 0:02:36 GMT
I am usually quite good at tech stuff but I am finding this mobile situation completely baffling. On the whole, Chuckles' Asda link looks very attractive at only 8p/minute 24/7 to any network/UK landline and 4p/text. The other issue that I find confusing is why can't you just buy a phone, without it being tied in to someone's network? In fairness, Carphone Warehouse offer just phone handsets, but these are so ridiculously priced I presume that they don't want people to go down that route. Imagine if you bought a car and then found that you could only drive it on motorways. Any thoughts on a basic handset as the LG KP170 I mentioned earlier appears to be out of stock. Preferably one that just makes voice calls and texts and not one that makes the tea too! ;D |
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Post by farmersboy on Jan 29, 2009 8:11:10 GMT
What about one that takes photoes Spru ;D
Im with Vodafone payg,mostly only use it for texts,they keep offering me a bonas of 70 free texts a month,was very handyu when on holiday last year for texting friends/family,but i never ever use them all up
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Post by Chuckles on Jan 29, 2009 16:40:49 GMT
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Post by MamIDdau on Jan 29, 2009 18:29:29 GMT
They link them to networks which brings down the cost of the phone. They must factor in the profit they're going to make out of you to see how much they want to subsidise the phone by.
I do believe though that o2 phones aren't locked to a network and you can therefore put another sim card into their phones. That's how it used to be anyway....! I'm on O2 so nothing to test it with. I think Virgin phones are unlocked too.
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Post by Spruance on Jan 30, 2009 1:15:15 GMT
Just looking into this a little further it looks as though the cheapest and easiest to understand deals come from ASDA and rather oddly, IKEA (Yes the furniture people!). As previously mentioned, ASDA is on the Vodafone network and charge a flat rate 8p/minute for voice calls to any UK based landline or mobile, 4p for texts, and 20p/Mb for Internet browsing (on a suitably enabled phone). IKEA's service goes by the name of FamilyMobile and runs on the T-Mobile network. Their call charges are slightly dearer than ASDA but are still on a flat rate basis of 9p/minute for voice calls and 6p for texts. IKEA have various rates of international dialling but with ASDA it is a flat rate of 20p/minute. ASDA's basic handset offering comprises of the Nokia 1209 (Blue) or the Samsung C300 (Pink!), both at £25.00. IKEA have the Sagem my225X at £21.82 or the Nokia 1208 at £22.29. Apart from the call charges there doesn't seem to be much to pick between the two although from what I can gather, IKEA have a good customer service reputation. Also having dealt with IKEA on a supply side basis I know that they are absolute sticklers for detail. Does anyone else have any thoughts on my shortlisted choices? |
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Jan 30, 2009 9:40:29 GMT
I know you requested PAYG phones but have you consider the Virgin contract which I have had for 18 months now.
I get 100 txts and 200 minutes for £10 per month and the phone is free and upgraded every 12 months free of charge. I make sure I use all of my txts and minutes up each month which means using the land line less and thus saving money on phone bills! I think it's a really good deal and maybe worth a look.
S x
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Post by Spruance on Jan 30, 2009 11:32:00 GMT
Thanks Susie I will certainly have a look at that, but as far as saving money on the landline goes, I'm on a BT Anytime contract so don't pay for my calls - just the monthly fee.
£10/month isn't much I know but would I be correct to presume that you can't rollover unused airtime into the following month?
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Jan 30, 2009 15:01:41 GMT
Only for the first month. If you weigh up the cost of a phone, how much you get for a tenner with PAYG I think it's a pretty good deal. Suppose it does depend on how much you'll use it though.
S x
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Post by Spruance on Jan 30, 2009 15:40:20 GMT
The intention is that it would be used only occasionally, hence the PAYG thinking. Funnily enough I have just discovered that I have a free allowance of 200 texts per month on my current BT landline contract. Problem is that our home phone doesn't do texts. |
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Post by Spruance on Feb 2, 2009 13:41:03 GMT
Just for the record I've opted for the ASDA PAYG with a Nokia 1209 (Blue) which rather oddly is £7.27 cheaper than the otherwise identical model in grey. I had intended to pick one up from the local Asda branch this morning but needless to say they didn't have the one I wanted so it is now winging it's way via courier. Thanks again for the advice and especially to Chuckles for the Asda link. |
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Post by nightowl on Feb 4, 2009 11:08:58 GMT
Thanks for the replies so far. I'm just looking at Tesco's pricing Tig, and if I understand correctly they are offering to double up on whatever credit you buy. So, buy £10 and get £20 for instance. Is it too good to be true?..... www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork/payasyougo.aspx?page=4I've been with Tesco for about 4-5 years now and they've been great!  You can top up at the checkout (and get points for it). They often give extra-points vouchers. They let you have 3 favourite numbers on a half-price call/text tariff. They are fine abroad. You just switch automatically to a network in whatever country you are in, and their costs are pretty reasonable to/from abroad especially texting. 40p per text, or 20p to your fave numbers which of course are your likeliest contact anyway! They get my vote!  |
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Post by Spruance on Feb 4, 2009 13:34:25 GMT
The ASDA phone arrived this morning and the set up was simple and straightforward thanks to their helpful UK based staff.
I did consider the Tesco option not least because I have a Tesco credit card and get points on that. On balance though I think that the ASDA option is best for me at the moment as this is intended purely for emergencies rather than for everyday use.
The bonus is that it transpires that ASDA mobiles are unlocked to any network so if it turns out not to be for me, I can switch to another provider at no extra cost.
Calling abroad from the UK is a flat rate 20p/minute irrespective of country. I don't know the equivalent text cost but I have emailed them to query that point.
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Post by nightowl on Feb 5, 2009 9:08:46 GMT
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Post by Spruance on Feb 5, 2009 12:00:31 GMT
Yes that's a good point NO. I've just had an email back from ASDA (very impressed with this BTW - two email enquiries and two next day personal replies) This is what they had to say "There is no charge for receiving calls or text from abroad unless you are abroad at the time then you would be charged for calls but not text. If you are sending a text to a UK mobile that happens to be outside the UK at the time then it is just the normal 4p (160 characters) charge, if you are sending a text to a non UK registerd phone the it would be 20p per text (160 characters)". So on the whole I think it looks like a very fair deal. |
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Post by Chuckles on Mar 10, 2009 20:01:29 GMT
Hows it going with Asda Spruance |
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Post by Chuckles on Mar 26, 2009 17:21:56 GMT
Hows it going with Asda Spruance ;D |
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Post by Spruance on Mar 26, 2009 23:33:57 GMT
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Post by Chuckles on Mar 27, 2009 10:32:51 GMT
Mmmm spose I'll forgive you ;D I'm the same as you and PAYG suits me as I rarely use the phone really, nice to have though. I do sometimes wonder about all these contract deals they offer. I hear nephews and neices say......I get £130 of txt and calls for £35 a month.....bla bla bla. I reckon it just encourages folk into thinking they are getting something cheap, maybe I'm behind the times. I know some folk use mobiles a lot and couldn't manage without them. Everyone to there own I guess |
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I got it at a big discount too - something like half price ;D
You can top up at the checkout (and get points for it). They often give extra-points vouchers.
